Chapter 14
“I don’t know what to do, Will. I’ve never seen my mom like this before, it has me terrified. She’s hardly eating, she doesn’t sleep, I hear her crying in her room every night and she’s not even really talking to me. I’ll be lucky if I can get two words out of her.”
Willow put an arm around her distressed friend. “Maybe she should see a therapist or something, it might help and if you don’t kill me for suggesting it, I think you should do the same.”
Buffy shook her head. “I don’t need therapy, and it’s doubtful she would agree to that. I haven’t told Spike any of this, but he can tell something’s wrong whenever we talk on the phone. I just don’t want to worry him right now. He’s only been gone for a month and I’m already losing it, I didn’t think this would be so hard.”
“That’s what happens when you’re in love. So I hear, anyway.”
This was the perfect opportunity for Buffy to turn the subject off of her. “You should really tell Xander how you feel. I’m still mad at him, but I think you guys would be good together. If he ever gets that stick out of his ass, of course.”
Willow’s eyes widened. “What do you mean? I don’t have feelings for Xander.”
“Please, Will, I’m not completely blind. I see the way you’ve been looking at him. He needs to realize that I’ll never be interested in him as more than a friend, but you are a total catch. Sometimes we have to make the first move, guys are pretty dense.”
She let out a sigh. “They’re so frustrating; I think Tara has the right idea.”
Buffy had to agree with her there.
* * * * *
“Well, would you look at that? I just stumbled across this magazine at my doctor’s office, and couldn’t help noticing who was plastered all over the cover.”
Buffy rolled her eyes. “What are you on about now?”
Cordelia grinned, shoving the magazine in her face. “Spike with Drusilla Edwards, the former love of his life. Or should I say current? These pictures were dated as being taken two weeks ago. I’m sure it’s just a publicity stunt, but they look pretty damn cozy to me. I wouldn’t trust him, if I were you. The guy is sex on a stick; he can’t be faithful to one woman, especially when she’s in another country. I did warn you, after all.”
“Wow, Cordy, this is just truly sad. Jealousy does not become you.”
The brunette scoffed. “Whatever, I’m just trying to save you some heartache. First the thing with your mom’s boyfriend, and now this? How much more could you possibly take before you just snap?”
Buffy clenched her fists at her side. “You really don’t want to test that theory.”
“Yeah, I think I do. This is my fucking town, I owned this school way before you ever got here. I was supposed to be Spike’s girlfriend, being with him and starring in his movie would have helped me finally become famous, but you took that away from me. You’re nothing but cheap trash, the kind that isn’t even fit to lick his boots. He’ll realize that soon enough, and you’re going to end up all alone like the miserable whore you are.”
Before Buffy could stop herself, she pulled back her fist and clocked Cordelia right in the face, causing the other girl to cry out, covering her now bleeding nose.
“You stupid bitch!”
Buffy was stunned, taking a step back as a bunch of students started to form around them. Without waiting for a teacher to make their presence known, Buffy ran in the other direction, not stopping until she was clear of the building.
* * * * *
Running away didn’t really solve anything, and Buffy was given a three day suspension, which she would welcome right about now. Except that meant spending even more time with her mute mother, who couldn’t even manage to yell at her for punching the head cheerleader.
When she talked to Spike later that night, Buffy kept the truth of what happened to herself, but did bring up the photos of him with his ex-girlfriend. As she expected, he explained it was for publicity and that he hated having to pose with Drusilla. He made it very clear to the press that they were more than over, but some people just hadn’t taken the hint yet.
She tried to get some sleep, but that wasn’t likely to happen with the loud sobs going on in the next room. When would things ever get back to normal? It was times like this where she missed Spike the most, and wished more than anything that he was laying beside her.
* * * * *
Those three days seemed to go by very slowly for Buffy and at the end of her sentence, she was actually glad to be returning to school. There was only so much of her mother’s silence that she could stand.
“Man, Buff, you’re a legend. Everyone has wanted to put Cordy in her place, but never had the guts to do it. I bow down to you.”
She took a drink of her soda, not about to acknowledge his praise. “Right, because punching a person in the face is really something to be proud of. No matter how much she may have deserved it, what I did wasn’t cool and you’re an idiot for thinking it was.”
Xander nodded. “Okay, I get it; you’re still pissed at me.”
“No, I’m not still pissed at you. I’m not really anything at you. I’m too busy dealing with a practically comatose mother, a boyfriend who I never get to see, and being suspended from school because I can’t control my violent outbursts, to really think much about being pissed at you.”
He held his hands up in surrender, glad when Willow finally showed up. “So, Will, can I borrow your notes for History class?”
* * * * *
Something was wrong when Buffy entered her house later that day, only to find the sight of her mother baking in the kitchen, a smile on her face that she thought to never see again.
“Mom, what’s going on? Are you okay?”
“Everything is better now, sweetheart. He’s come to take us home,” Joyce explained, the smile still plastered all over her features.
That was the most her mother had spoken in weeks, and before Buffy could ask what she meant, another presence appeared behind her. To say she was shocked would have been an understatement. “Dad?”
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